TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS
SCOTT DICKENS
Photos: Scott Dickens
These Countries Need Love Too!
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ravel bucket lists are my ultimate clickbait. camping to 5-star luxury. So what Nothing is more likely to have me feverishly are Namibia’s highlights? reaching for my mouse than ‘The Top Etosha National Park: Spanning 8,600 square destinations to Visit in 2021’ or ‘The Most miles, and dominated by the Etosha Salt Pan, Surprising Must-Visit Locations’. I’m also a Etosha National Park in the north of Nambia is an hard numbers man - which naturally attracts me wildlife-lovers paradise. The park hosts big cats, the to hard data rather than the subjective travel lists endangered black rhino and is a breeding ground and personal preferences you so often see. From for flamingoes on the park’s salt pan in January and an unapologetically British perspective that means February. all roads lead me to the masters of British data; the Soussusvlei: In case you were wondering, a vlei, , Office of National Statistics (or the ONS for those is the Afrikaans word for a marsh. Namibia’s vleis are in the know). By now you might well be thinking salt and clay pans surrounded by high red sand dunes that you don’t like the sounds of where this article is and they represent one of the country’s key tourist going, but stick with me, it gets more interesting, I attractions. Most notably they are a photographers promise. You see, the ONS, in addition to publishing dream; the contrast of the dead blackened camel its more traditional (and mind-numbing) labor thorn trees against the red dunes and white pan floor market and economic analyses, also publishes an provide a postcard picture every time. annual travel trends analysis which delves deep in Damaraland: Damaraland is probably one of the to the travel proclivities of the British populous. In most scenic areas of Namibia and isn’t exactly your addition to highlighting the obvious (for example, typical safari destination. It’s a vast wilderness area that the British like to holiday in Spain) the data that plays host to populations of desert-adapted also highlights those countries least visited by the elephant and Rhino. good people of the UK. At no time in history is that Swakopmund: Namibia’s capital of extreme sports kind of information more useful than right now, provides ample opportunity to try your hand at when avoiding mass tourist destinations for the sandboarding; sea kayaking with seals and dolphins; foreseeable future is highly advisable! In sky diving; dune buggying; quad biking through the this article I’ve picked five previously listed desert; and shark fishing. ■ ONS destinations that I’ve visited and that Seek ou t wildlif e in Beli definitely deserve more attention from ze my tourist brethren at this time of social distancing. ■ lei ia’s Dead V s of Namib e n u d e th Scale
NAMIBIA If you visit my website (takephotosleavefootprints.com) with any regularity, then you’ll have noticed my affinity for Namibia. As a result, you could hardly expect me to ignore the fact that it has consistently been a least visited destination. Stunning scenery, abundant wildlife, and plenty of adventure; Namibia has it all. Having spent around three months there I can still say I haven’t seen even half of what Namibia has to offer. It’s also one of the easiest and safest of the African safari destinations to self-drive; meaning that companies catering to visitors who want to ‘go it alone’ are becoming ever more prevalent and cater to everything from budget 18 | March 2021
from 300 to 900 AD and despite their age a number of large Mayan temples remain largely intact and ready to explore in their jungle setting. Ocean Habitats: Where to start?! Belize is one of the best spots on earth to be a scuba diver or snorkeling fanatic. With sites such as the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, the Blue Hole and Turneffe Islands Atoll it’s no wonder that divers from around the world visit Belize. The Belize Barrier Reef spans an incredible 185 miles of the country’s coastline and the world-famous “Blue Hole” is visible from space. Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Reserve: Recognized as the World’s first jaguar preserve, the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (CBWS) is a stunning place for a day of hiking amongst crystal-clear waterfalls, mountain rainforests and an abundance of wildlife. Although the jaguars are predictably difficult to spot (they’re nocturnal after all) you’ll stand a chance of spotting puma, margay, jaguarundi, ocelot, wildcats, tapir and deer. ■
rough Canoe th ess ern the wild ana in Botsw
BELIZE Sitting wedged between Mexico and Guatemala, Belize is fast becoming one of the most popular ecotourism destinations in Central America alongside Costa Rica. Together with its pristine white-sand beaches and tropical jungles Belize offers some of the best scuba diving and snorkeling opportunities in the world; largely thanks to it being the home of longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. Throw in a whole host of Mayan archeological sites and Belize has a fascinating allure for anyone with a sense for adventure. Archeological Sites: For budding Indiana Jones’ Belize has an abundance of Mayan archeological sites including Lamanai archeological Reserve, San Ignacio, Altun Ha and Caracol Natural Monument Reservation. Belize’s Mayan culture was at its height
A N A W S T BO As I was writing this article, and trying to whittle down the list of destinations to five that I wanted to write about I found myself making tough choices between Botswana, Rwanda and Swaziland; all of which offer world-class wildlife opportunities. In the end it all came down to my shock that Botswana was on the list in the first place. With both Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta within its borders I found it impossible not to write about Botswana. Both parks also offer a unique water-based safari experience that can be Old Town Crier
